The Pacific

Tonight was the series finale of The Pacific on HBO. To say it was a masterpiece is an understatement. This entire series has been a privilege to watch. The things these men did and the conditions they endured to ensure you and I are living in a free country can never be repaid. Unfortunately, too many of them are no longer with us to personally thank for their service.

This final episode focused on post-war America and the men's reintegration to civilian life. For some it was an easy transition. For others things didn't go as well. The horrors of war lived on in their minds and dreams. Eugene Sledge was fortunate to have an understanding family that let him work thru those demons at his own pace.

I heard a lot of criticism early in the series from people comparing it to Band of Brothers. This series had to cover so much ground in so little time it was impossible to give each character and battle the same amount of attention that BoB was able to donate. It was also based on 3 different books focused on multiple groups instead of a single book focused on a single group. It would be more fair to compare The Pacific to From The Earth to The Moon. They could have easily made this a 30 hour series and still not covered everything that happened or developed all the characters involved. Both had a lot of ground to cover in a limited amount of time. One thing I can guarantee you is when you see Tom Hanks name attached to a patriotic piece, it will be done quality bar-none. I'd really like to see him do a series on the air battles of WWII.

If you haven't seen The Pacific, there will be a encore marathon presentation Memorial Day weekend on HBO. The first five episodes will air on Sunday and the final five on Monday. It is required viewing.